TASKS

Task I: Data Collection

The first major technical task in updating the long range transportation plan and conducting a scenario planning process is to develop a comprehensive inventory of data and background information. Such an inventory will include transportation planning and related policy information, technical data to address safety, intersection performance, and overall system demand, and land use and design characteristics to understand the varied built environment of the region’s urban, suburban, and rural areas.

Task II: Public Involvement

The Public Participation Plan (PPP) defines the overall schedule, goals, desired outcomes, techniques and tools to be used for engaging the public in the development of the 2035 Long Range Transportation Plan. During each phase of the study, the consulting team will work closely with the MPO to define creative and innovative techniques for outreach, engagement and information sharing, including workshops, focus group meetings, briefings, set up and maintenance of a project web site, mailed newsletters and e-news distributed via e-mail.

Task III: Guiding Principles, Goals, and Performance Measures

Based on input from the first public workshop, focus group meetings, and stakeholder interviews regarding key issues, community values and goals, the consulting team will create a vision statement and guiding principles needed to direct the development and evaluation of alternative future transportation and land use scenarios will be created. The working vision will be subject to refinement during the planning process, particularly upon selection of the preferred future scenario, which will form the basis for the Vision Plan.

Task IV: Vision and Constrained Transportation Plan

Upon completion of the first three tasks, the consulting team will organize and facilitate a community workshop designed to engage participants in an educational and highly interactive discussion of potential and desired future development patterns and transportation networks. Based on the ideas generated at the community workshop, the consulting team will develop two to three alternative scenarios, test them with the regional travel demand model, and evaluate them on performance against the trend. A second community workshop will view the results of the scenarios and, through facilitated discussions, shape a preferred scenario, which may combine aspects of one or more alternatives and form the basis of the Vision Plan. Additionally, environmental data and future costs will be considered as constraints, thus serving as a bridge between the “base case” multimodal network (identified in Task 1) and the preferred scenario.

Task V: Adoption Process

This final phase of the Long Range Transportation Plan update focuses on the necessary steps to meet SAFETEA-LU and state LRTP requirements, reaching agreements with stakeholders regarding any policy and priority changes resulting from the plan to achieve implementation of the Vision Plan and the Constrained Plan alternatives, and documenting the project outcomes and principles. At the third community workshop (in conjunction with the first public hearing), the community will have an opportunity to view the draft Vision and Constrained Plans, noting how it reflects the ideas they built during the scenario planning process. Upon completion of workshop #3 / first public hearing, the consulting team will refine the plan with the MPO Technical Steering Committee, with the goal of having the second public hearing and final LRTP adopted by July 2010.